


for auld lang syne

by ineedashiro (madseli)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Planet, Children, Comfort, Eloping, Family, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Galaxy Garrison, Gyms, Implied Sexual Content, Kosmo is a very good boy, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage, New Year's Eve, POV Animal, Panic Attacks, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Sheith New Years, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-01 17:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17248244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madseli/pseuds/ineedashiro
Summary: A series of drabbles written for the Sheith New Years event.Day 1: Keith and Shiro take a quiet moment for each other to celebrate the New Year. Confessions are made.Day 2: After the war, Keith and Shiro need a break. They just might get hitched while they're at it.Day 3: After their elopement, Keith and Shiro try to figure out what they're gonna tell their friends and family.Day 4: Four soft moments between Keith and Shiro, as told by the space wolf who witnessed them.Day 5: In their Garrison days, Shiro discovers Keith is... weirdly strong.





	1. Day 1: New Year's

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: "auld lang syne" is a Scots phrase meaning "old time's sake" or "times long past." Seems perfect for a couple boys with a bit of history, right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro take a quiet moment for each other to celebrate the New Year. Confessions are made.
> 
> Between S7 and S8.

Looking around the Garrison cafeteria, it seemed like the entire Atlas crew had gathered to celebrate the New Year. The atmosphere was chaotic. Voices spoke over each other and background music to be heard, most had already had quite a bit to drink, and it was all a bit much.

Keith was a lot of things, but an extrovert was not one of those things. A capable leader, yes, and a decent enough speaker with practice, but there was a reason he had been dubbed the loner of the group in the beginning. Sometimes old habits were hard to break.

He found a place for himself outside the main Garrison facility, overlooking the vast landscape. It was cold in the desert in December, and a brisk wind cut into him, leaving his cheeks and nose a bright red. His dark hair stuck out around the edges of the maroon ski cap he wore, and he cradled a steaming cup of hot chocolate between gloved hands - though he had predictably cut the fingers off and those, too, were turning pink in the cold.

“Waiting for the show?”

Keith, leaning against the railing of the overlook, didn’t need to turn to recognize the voice. “Getting away from the noise.”

“Ah.” Shiro stepped up beside him. “You look cold.”

Keith shrugged. In lieu of a suitable winter jacket, he wore a regular sweater that left his neck bare and an unzipped leather jacket. Shiro, in comparison, had enough layers on that Keith questioned how he managed to move. “It’s not that bad.”

“Here,” Shiro said, reaching and tugging on the charcoal scarf he wore until it fell away from his neck. Though Keith attempted to protest, Shiro was already wrapping it around Keith’s neck, arranging it to cover as much of the exposed skin as possible. When he’d finished, he took it upon himself to zip Keith’s jacket up for him, and readjusted the scarf once more until he was satisfied. “I’m cold just looking at you.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Keith teased, waiting until Shiro was done to take a sip of his drink. “Thanks.”

“Where’d you get that?” Shiro asked, leaning against the banister.

“Made it,” Keith said, holding it out to Shiro. “I smuggled a bit of Bailey’s out of the kitchen. Try some.”

Shiro gladly took the mug and drank a mouthful. His eyes widened and he whistled as he handed it back. “A bit?”

“Listen.” He stumbled over a laugh and took another sip. “I haven’t touched the champagne, I deserve this.”

“Won’t argue with that,” Shiro said. They stared together at the sky. Between patches of clouds, they could see the stars shining as bright as always. “Ready for the new year?”

“I guess.” Keith shrugged again, and continued only when Shiro looked at him with questions gleaming in his eyes. “I spent two years in the Quantum Abyss which was actually only about six months and then we all missed out on three more years when we battled Lotor. Time is fake.”

Shiro laughed. “That’s fair. But it’s nice to see everyone having a bit of fun for a change. When I left Lance was trying to explain the concept of a New Year’s resolution to the Alteans. They kept getting hung up on why you couldn’t just make these changes any time of the year.”

Keith grinned. “They have a point.”

Shiro nudged Keith with his elbow. “What about you? Any resolutions?”

Keith shook his head. “Not my thing.”

“What, you’re too cool?” Shiro teased.

Keith tried to stifle a laugh by sipping his drink. “I’m sure you’ve got enough resolutions for both of us.”

“Just one.” There was more he wanted to say, and it was obvious.

“Oh, yeah?” Keith asked, humoring him.

“I am going to be more honest with myself, and with the people I love.” Shiro said it with the firm determination he usually reserved for more serious tasks, which made it all the more endearing.

Keith smiled into his drink. “Well, that seems doable. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“I know.” Shiro worried his lip between his teeth. “Keith, I haven’t been honest with you about everything.”

Keith blinked. He turned to face Shiro, brow furrowed. “Okay.”

Shiro swallowed. “Do you… do you remember when we fought?”

“Kinda hard to forget,” Keith said with a weak laugh. He was silenced as Shiro lifted a gentle hand to touch the scar across his cheek.

“You told me you love me like a brother,” Shiro said, beginning to speak quickly.

Keith was grateful for the cold that had already made him red enough to hide his blush. “That’s not what I said, exactly.”

“I never said anything about it after you saved me. I should’ve, but the more time passed the less I knew what I needed to say.”

“We’ve had a lot of other things to worry about.” Keith took a final sip of his drink and set the mug on the rail, determined to look anywhere but at Shiro.

“I know what to say, now.” He set his hands on Keith’s shoulders, though Keith continued to feign interest in something to the left of his elbow. “Keith, please look at me.”

When Keith didn’t immediately respond, Shiro raised one hand to cup his jaw, thumb tracing the scar. Keith inhaled sharply and met Shiro’s gaze.

“I love you, too, Keith. I do.” He hesitated, looking almost ashamed as he continued. “But not as a brother. I used to love you like that, but…”

“Something changed,” Keith finished for him, voice rough with emotion.

Shiro nodded. “I don’t know what it was, or when it started, but…” He shook his head, letting go of Keith’s shoulders and taking a step back. “And you don’t have to feel the same way. It’s okay that you only see me as a brother.”

Keith looked alarmed. “Shiro-”

“I just needed to admit how I felt. This doesn’t have to change anything. I value our friendship too much to let it go.”

Keith set a hand on Shiro’s arm in an attempt to get his attention. “Shiro, it’s-”

“You’re the most important person in my life, Keith. If I lost you because of this-”

His efforts going unnoticed, Keith opted for something more drastic. He grasped handfuls of the collar of Shiro’s jacket and dragged him down until their mouths met. The sound of the party within the facility beginning their countdown to the new year carried in an echo out into the desert night, but Keith paid them little mind.

When they parted, Shiro’s expression could only be described as utterly dumbfounded. “But - but you said -”

“I know what I said,” Keith said, flattening out the wrinkles he’d created in Shiro’s collar. “Something changed for me, too.”

“-Oh.” Keith couldn’t tell if the red that splashed across Shiro’s cheeks was new or not. “In that case…”

In all the years Keith had known him, Shiro had never shown an inkling of self-doubt. He radiated confidence. When he took Keith’s face in his hands, there was no trace of that Shiro. This Shiro was flustered, nervous, shaking with what could have been cold but Keith would argue was something else. 

Shiro, who rarely ever showed nerves in battle, was _shaking_ under Keith's touch. 

“Three!”

Their noses bumped together, and Keith huffed a laugh.

“Two!”

Impatient, and realizing what Shiro was waiting for, Keith once again closed the space between them. Shiro, unbothered, leaned into him with parted lips.

“One! Happy New Year!”

They kissed again and again. Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck, and Shiro shifted his hands down to Keith’s waist, tugging Keith closer until they were flush and Keith had to stretch onto the tips of his toes. Fireworks cracked overhead, setting the sky alight in reds and whites and greens. It was their cue to break apart before the crowds of people rushed outside to watch and caught them, but they were slow to do so, and they pulled apart only to come back together in an embrace.

“Aw, you guys!” Hunk’s voice came from behind them, and with no other warning he tossed his arms around the both of them and squeezed. “First group hug of the new year!”

Keith heard Shiro laugh into his ear as Keith could only assume Lance, Allura, and Pidge joined in the hug. Keith nearly lost his balance from the force of it, but Shiro’s arms still around him kept him on his feet, and he wasn’t about to complain. It was unclear how much the others had seen, but if they caught the last of the kisses they made no mention of it as the embrace pressed Shiro and Keith even closer together.

Effectively hidden from view, Shiro sneaked a kiss to Keith’s temple, and Keith breathed him in, and there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @holdingoutforashiro and Twitter @i_need_a_shiro.


	2. Day 2: Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the war, Keith and Shiro need a break. They just might get hitched while they're at it.

When the war was finally over, Keith and Shiro took a few months off.

They knew they were important figures of peace and stability in the universe’s fragile state. They knew there was work to be done. There would always be work to be done. But they deserved a break, after everything they had been through, and when they asked the Garrison for time off, no one questioned them.

It’d been two months already - just Shiro, Keith, and the space wolf traveling from planet to planet, seeing all there was to see. They took the Black Lion for the extra space it provided, but while neither of them would admit to it, it was also a little nice to be treated to a warm welcome as the defenders of the universe.

They found themselves on the jungle planet Talhiri, a newer member of the Coalition. With an annual flooding season, the people had adapted by building their cities among the trees and along mountainsides. Intricate systems of bridges and ladders connected their world in the treetops, some reaching as high as any skyscraper. Keith and Shiro were lucky to arrive during the beginning of the dry season, when the floods dispersed and left everything an intense green, and glowing blue and magenta fruits hung from branches waiting to be picked.

Upon their arrival, Keith and Shiro were offered a suite to share and a tour of the capital city. The Talhirans were a humanoid people with deep purple scales and dark blue eyes that were entirely pupil, and their guide, Ryxa, was a prime example of the kindness and patience they were known for.

They were about halfway through their tour when they noticed what appeared to be some sort of ceremony on an outcrop of the mountain, ahead of a small bioluminescent waterfall. Two of the locals knelt before one another, hands held tightly, while strings of light swirled around them.

“What’s going on over there?” Keith asked their guide, nudging Shiro with his elbow to catch his attention.

“Ah, that,” Ryxa said, “That is a traditional bonding ceremony."

Shiro's shoulders perked, and he turned in interest. "Like a wedding?" 

"More than a wedding. The light you see around them is a small amount of quintessence the priestess gathers from the couples' own life sources to bind their essences to one another.”

“Whoa,” Keith said, “Sounds intense.”

“It bonds their essences?” Shiro said, “So, like their souls?”

“If that is how you wish to think of it, then certainly.” Ryxa glanced between them, a knowing smile blooming. “It is a marriage of their souls. Two become one, with the priestess’s ceremony sealing the spiritual bond.”

“What does that mean, though? Bonding their essences? They can never leave each other’s side or something?” Keith asked, still watching the ceremony. At the priestess’s direction, quintessence swirled like vines around the couple’s linked arms, leaving light marks along their flesh, though they seemed to feel no pain.

“Oh, of course they can. But they become linked. They feel each other’s feelings, even when apart.”

“Amazing.” Shiro’s attention shifted from the ceremony to the man beside him. He softened, expression entirely adoring. “They don’t know what the other is thinking, do they?”  

“No, no, they don’t become telepaths. But empaths, perhaps, is more accurate. When one is sad, so shall be the other. When one is happy, so shall the other be. And when they are in love, they feel that as well.”

Keith felt Shiro’s gaze on him. “They can... feel how they feel for each other?”  

“They can.”

Keith and Shiro shared a glance. Keith was first to ask the question he assumed was on both minds. “Does it only work for Talhirans?”

“The binding is conducted through the use of quintessence. Quintessence, as you know, is life - it exists in all living beings, in varying quantities.” Ryxa paused, considering her next words with care. “I suppose you are most curious to know if this ceremony could be performed on a Terran, or a Galran?”

Keith blushed. He felt Shiro shift beside him, human hand settling on Keith’s lower back. “Just curious,” Keith mumbled.

“Galrans tend to feel quite intensely, and so have generally avoided any ceremony which makes them feel more so,” Ryxa said, “And it has never been attempted with a Terran. However, there is no reason it could not be done should you want to. And I’m certain our priestess would be thrilled to officiate a bonding ceremony between two of the paladins of Voltron.”

At once, Keith said, “It was just a question” and Shiro said, “We aren’t planning on anything right now.”

Still, Ryxa seemed to know what they had been thinking. “Shall we continue with our tour?”

“Yes, please,” Shiro said. She led them forward while he slipped his hand down into Keith’s and gave it a squeeze.

It was evening when they finally made it to their room. In the dark, the paths were lit by glowing yellow lanterns. Through their window, they could see hundreds of them above and below, emitting so much light that they outshone the stars.

Their room was a quaint suite in the treetops with wooden walls and floors, and deep green rugs and bedding and curtains. The space wolf, who had grown taller than Keith and as a result was too big to traverse the city’s bridges and ladders with them, and who had waited the entire day curled up in the corner for their return, wasted no time tackling Keith to the floor.

Dressed in one of Shiro’s gray t-shirts and a pair of red and black pajama bottoms, Keith waited while Shiro showered, petting the space wolf’s head absently in his lap. The water shut off and Shiro emerged with one towel wrapped around his hips while he ran another over his hair.

“Something on your mind?” he asked, noticing the unfocused way Keith ran his fingers through the wolf’s fur.

“Just thinking about that - that bonding ceremony we saw today,” Keith said, voice dreamy. He shook his head a little, snapping himself out of his own reverie. “It just looked nice, is all.”

“It did,” Shiro said, stepping across the room to sit on the arm of the couch beside Keith. Keith used the opportunity to lean his head against Shiro’s hip. His skin was shower-warm and soft, tempting Keith to press a kiss to the hip bone. Shiro set his hand at the curve of Keith’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Something you… might be interested in?”

Keith pursed his lips in thought. “Might be.”

Shiro’s fingers slipped over the collar of the t-shirt, brushing over bare skin and making Keith shiver. “I might be, too.”

“You heard what she said about Galrans, right?”

“I did,” Shiro said, undeterred. “And I agree. My Galra boyfriend has very intense emotions. It’s one of the things I love about him.”

“But you would feel them too, if we did this,” Keith said.

“Yes,” Shiro said, “And it would bring us closer together. All I want is to be close to you.”

“Are you sure you’ll want that, though?”

“I want you.” Shiro bent down, his hand shifting to Keith’s jaw to turn it upward so they could meet in a gentle kiss. “As much of you as I can have.”

Something in Keith’s chest fluttered. He smiled despite himself. “You’re already my soulmate, Shiro. Might as well make it official.”

There was a beat. Then, like clouds parting to make way for stunning rays of sunlight, Shiro’s expression split into a breathtaking smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Shiro slid off the arm of the couch onto Keith’s lap, displacing the space wolf and earning a whine. “Yeah?”

It shocked a laugh out of Keith. “Yeah. Elopement on an alien planet sounds like just the kind of thing we'd do, anyway.”

“Okay,” Shiro said, and took Keith’s face in his hands to kiss him breathless. “Okay, we’re doing this.”

As the kisses trailed away from his lips to his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose and so on, Keith couldn’t help but laugh again, pressing a hand against Shiro’s shoulder as if to push him away but instead holding him firmly in place. “We’re doing this.”

In the morning they found Ryxa and told her of their decision.

The ceremony took place at sunset.

They each wore a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. It wasn’t the most formal, but when they packed for several months in space they hadn’t anticipated any need for a tuxedo, and they each looked handsome enough regardless. A local florist had hastily woven together traditional floral circlets for them, at Ryxa’s insistence. They were meant to be in colors that represented the other.

Shiro’s was made up of dominating red flowers; Keith’s was soft purple and white.

There were no vows. Their “I do’s” were the priestess’s permission to commence the forging of the bond. They knelt before each other, hands held at the wrists, Shiro’s grips encircling Keith’s wrists completely with room to spare. The priestess waved her arms, graceful movements pulling strings of quintessence from them. Keith’s red light met Shiro’s purple, swirling in shimmering spirals around their bodies and twisting coils around their arms.

It only took moments to feel the bond forming. Later they would try to explain it to their friends and struggle to find the right words. It was simple and all-encompassing, strong and soft at once, a warm feeling that filled cracks in their souls they hadn’t known were there. It was overwhelming and left them in a daze, but their focus on the other was absolute.

Their loves were different. Keith’s love was explosive, untempered, fiery, so much like him. It was a determination that spanned the universe and a devotion that brought death trembling to its knees in defeat. Shiro’s, in contrast, was quiet and fierce, patient, compassionate and uplifting. It was admiration and adoration and breathless wonder. It was a grounding hand on Keith’s shoulder and the wind carrying him towards the sky. Different, but in ways that complemented and soothed one another.

Bathed in the light of sunset, they fell together at the ceremony’s end, heedless of onlookers trying to catch a glimpse of the famed heroes. It became a mad scramble to touch and kiss and hold, Shiro tugging Keith flush against his chest while Keith shoved hands into Shiro’s hair and kissed him like he was afraid that reality would cease to exist otherwise. Shiro’s grip was crushing, and Keith could take it. They kissed and kissed, and when they needed to breathe they held onto each other still until the sun had gone.

The priestess gave them space, and Ryxa ushered the crowd away, and there they stayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because that's totally how quintessence works, right? 
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr @holdingoutforashiro and Twitter @i_need_a_shiro.


	3. Day 3: Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their elopement, Keith and Shiro try to figure out what they're gonna tell their friends and family. 
> 
> For the Sheith New Years event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble is a continuation from the previous drabble and it would probably help to have read it, but if you haven't all you need to know is that Keith and Shiro eloped on an alien planet called Talhiri, where the weddings are actually bonding ceremonies that bind the couple's quintessence to one another and gives them empathic abilities.

The soul bond was new and exciting and wonderful. When the initial intensity of the ceremony passed, it became more like the bonds with the lions; a feeling secondary to their own, but absolutely present. They carried each other with them wherever they went. 

It was amazing. 

They just had to tell their friends and family. 

It was a discussion they went back and forth on. It wasn’t a traditional marriage in the human sense, so they didn’t need to talk about it like it was. But to a Galran like Keith’s mother, the bond meant significantly more than a human marriage, and they would need to tread with care. But then shouldn’t they treat their friends the same way? 

They window shopped through a marketplace on a desert planet and nearly bought a pair of rings for themselves. 

The night before their return to Earth, they knew they had to come to a final decision. The paladins were planning a dinner together, along with other friends, and Krolia would be at the hangar to greet them upon arrival. They had already kept this information to themselves too long. 

“Okay, what if we just tell them we’re planning on having a reception on Earth and we just didn’t have the time to make any concrete plans while we were so far away?” Shiro said. It wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion, except - 

“Are we planning on having a reception on Earth?” Keith sounded more curious than anything. He was laying on their bed, although he was more on the space wolf than the mattress, the creature curled with his head on his paws and his tail tossed over Keith’s belly. 

Shiro sat down and shifted Keith’s legs so they settled in his lap. He knew better than to take cuddle time from the space wolf - he was already on thin ice with him for taking as much of Keith’s attention as he did. “Would you want to?” 

Keith shrugged, smiling. Shiro could feel its warmth. “I love you. I’d do anything if it makes you happy.” 

“I love you, too,” Shiro said, and he felt the surge of joy those words brought up in Keith. “And it might be nice, y’know, since… I mean, we have to fill out all the paperwork anyway, and we were gonna buy rings…” 

Something flashed over Keith’s expression, and Shiro felt the change in his chest as well. Keith sat up, earning a whine from the space wolf, who perked his head up in search of pets. “Shiro, do you want to have a wedding?” 

Shiro waved his hand. “As far as I’m concerned we’re already married. It’s just the legal stuff we still have to do.” 

“Yeah,” Keith said, scooting closer. “But we’re also humans, and weddings are human things. It’s okay to want one.” 

The image of himself and Keith in tuxedos, standing before their closest friends, declaring their love to the world and vowing to always stand together meant more to Shiro than he could explain. “Really?” 

“Yeah. Besides, people renew their vows all the time, and we never really got to say vows the first time, not the way it works in human weddings.” Keith must have felt the way Shiro’s heart was bursting, because a smile bloomed at his lips halfway through talking. 

Shiro reached and pulled Keith the rest of the way onto his lap, wrapping his arms around his middle and nuzzling his jaw. The space wolf whined and shuffled towards them, and Keith compromised by leaving one arm around Shiro’s neck while his other hand scratched behind the creature’s ears. 

“You’d really marry me again?” Shiro leaned back enough to look at Keith, soft brown eyes searching. 

“Shiro, I would marry you a thousand times on a thousand planets in a thousand different realities.” 

Shiro couldn’t believe he was so lucky. His only response was to shower Keith in kisses, his lips finding every surface he could reach until Keith was shaking with laughter in his arms, and then he kissed the laughter from his lips. 

“You are…” Shiro began, and froze trying to find a word that encompassed everything he felt. 

Keith cut him off with a kiss. “I know.” He scratched the space wolf’s ear one last time and then turned to him. “Okay, bud, out. It’s Shiro time.” 

The space wolf whined and shuffled forward with begging eyes, as if that might change Keith’s mind. Shiro tried to stifle a laugh. 

Keith pointed a stern finger towards the door. “Out.” 

With a final disappointed whine, the space wolf zapped himself away. 

“Good boy,” Keith said to himself with a fond smile. 

Shiro wasted no time. “Now that I’ve got you all to myself.” With a deep kiss, Shiro lifted Keith off his lap and laid him back onto the bed. Crawling on top of him, he trailed kisses up his body, muttering, “Can’t believe I gotta compete with a dog…” 

He felt Keith’s laughter in his own chest and had never felt so alive.

* * *

 

They touched down on Earth in the early afternoon, and the space wolf nearly knocked Krolia to the ground. 

When her arms were free once again, Keith was next in line. “Hey, Mom.” 

She was still so much taller than him, and the way she tucked him against her chest and wrapped around him was oh so endearing. “Hello, my darling. It’s good to have you back. How was your trip?” 

“It was great,” Keith said, pulling away and turning to shoot a wide smile in Shiro’s direction. “We had a great time.” 

Krolia bought them snacks from the airport cafe and drove them home. Though they made an effort to stay on a sleep schedule similar to what it would have been on Earth, they were still exhausted from the long journey and in desperate need of a nap before they could be expected to entertain their friends. 

Pidge and Matt arrived first, then Hunk with a platter of desserts he’d made to share, then Lance and Veronica, and then Coran, Allura, and Romelle. Shiro’s and Keith’s dining table was not meant to hold eleven people, but no one seemed to mind the lack of space as they laughed together and shared stories. Keith and Shiro had been relatively good about sharing out pictures and keeping in contact while they were away, but everyone still wanted to know details. 

“We’ve actually got something important we need to tell you all,” Shiro said as the conversation shifted to Talhiri. Keith, who was standing across the room and listening to Coran go off on a tangent with about as much as patience as could be expected from him, turned and met Shiro’s gaze. 

Shiro felt Keith’s nerves spike and nodded in gentle reassurance. Keith took a slow breath and nodded back. “Yeah, it’s… kind of big news, actually.” 

“Well what is it?” Pidge asked. 

“While we were on Talhiri, we witnessed a bonding ceremony,” Shiro began. 

Before he could continue, Coran cut in. “A Talhiran bonding ceremony, eh? That’s a beautiful tradition!” 

“Bonding ceremony?” Hunk asked, “So like a wedding?” 

“Sort of like a wedding, but not quite the same. The Talhirans certainly think of a bonded pair in much the same way as other cultures think of married couples. It involves using the quintessence within the individuals to create a permanent emotional and spiritual bond between them.” Coran scratched his chin, lifting an eyebrow in thought. “They’re actually found in many cultures, not just on Talhiri, although the Talhirans have a particularly lovely ceremony thanks to their naturally beautiful landscape.” 

Shiro and Keith glanced at each other, their expressions somehow exactly the same. “Right,” Shiro said as Keith made his way across the room to stand beside him, “Thank you, Coran.” 

“Okay, so you saw a wedding? What’s so big about that?” Lance asked. 

“Not a wedding, Lance,” Coran reminded him, “Bonding ceremony.” 

“Okay! So you saw a bonding ceremony, what’s so big about that?” Lance corrected himself with a bit of annoyance. 

“Lance,” Pidge said on a hiss. Shiro had wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist, and the others in the room had already begun to understand the implication. Matt’s mouth hung agape, and Krolia was covering her own with a hand. 

“What?” Lance said, “Does no one else think they’re being weirdly cryptic?” 

“Lance,” Allura said, her voice gentle despite her obvious excitement. “I think what Keith and Shiro are saying is that they themselves participated in a Talhiran bonding ceremony.” 

All eyes turned to Shiro and Keith. “We have some papers to sign,” Keith said, “To make it official. But, yes.” 

“We’re planning on having a ceremony here as well. A small, standard, human one,” Shiro said before anyone could make any comments, “And you’ll all be invited, once we’re able to start making the plans for it.” 

“You  _ guys _ .” Hunk’s voice was higher pitched than they thought they’d ever heard it, and before they knew it they were bombarded with congratulations, hugs, pats on the back, hand shakes, and the likes. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Lance said, “You mean to tell me you guys eloped on an alien planet?” 

Shiro blinked. “Yeah, pretty much.” 

“Why am I so surprised?” Lance asked, more of himself than anyone else. “That’s exactly the type of thing you’d do.” 

Keith lit up, gesturing towards Lance. “That’s what I said!”

“When did it happen?” Pidge asked, “Are we talking a week after you left, or two days ago, or what?” 

“Earth time, it was December 14th,” Shiro said. 

“This is such wonderful news!” Romelle said, clapping her hands together in excitement. 

“You know it is commonplace in Galra culture to seek permission from your mate’s guardian _before_ bonding with them,” Krolia said, her arms crossed in a familiar stance that made her look so much like Keith. 

Shiro froze, turning a bright shade of red. “I, uh -” 

Keith couldn’t help but laugh, and Krolia set her hand on Shiro’s shoulder to calm him. “Do not worry, Shiro. I already considered you a member of my family. I am delighted for both of you.” 

“I would like to call for a toast!” Coran said loudly enough to gather the attention of the room. He held up his glass, and the others followed suit. 

“To Keith and Shiro,” he said, “May your lives together be full and joyous, and may you know peace for the rest of your days.” 

“To Keith and Shiro,” the room echoed. Shiro felt Keith’s pride on top of his own, and turned to press a kiss to his temple. 

“Okay, now that that’s done, I have to call for everyone to put their drinks _down_ ,” Hunk said, and when he was met only with confusion, he continued, “Group hug!” 

“Oh God,” Keith said, and then laughed as he and Shiro were squished together by their friends’ crushing embrace. It was a perfect moment - and Shiro could feel Keith’s surprise and joy and love for these people, the family they had found together. 

It was perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @holdingoutforashiro or Twitter @i_need_a_shiro!


	4. Day 4: Kosmo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four soft moments between Keith and Shiro, as told by the space wolf who witnessed them.

I.

The space wolf had never been apart from his boy for so long. There was only so much about everything happening that he could comprehend, but this he was certain; his boy was in danger, and he couldn’t reach him.

He waited.

When his boy finally came back, his face was marred by a burn, but he was alive. The wolf moved to greet him, but he carried on his shoulder a man with white hair. The one with white hair’s eyes struggled to stay open, his feet stumbling over one another, and his boy watched him with concern.

The space wolf whined. Something was very wrong with the one with white hair.

As if on cue, his knees buckled. His boy caught him. “Shiro!” he said.

“Get him into the healing pod,” said the one with the furry face, “Quickly!”

He and his boy lifted the one with white hair into a glowing pod. It wasn’t difficult to tell that the one with white hair was important to his boy, which meant he was important to the space wolf.

The space wolf stood watch while the pack discussed among themselves. He would keep his boy and the one with white hair safe.

When the pack left, the wolf moved towards his boy. He stood on his hind legs and set his front paws on his boy’s lap so that he could more closely examine the burn on his face.

“Hey, buddy,” his boy said, one hand resting on the pod over the one with white hair’s heart, and the other shifting to gently pet the wolf’s head.

The wolf sniffed his wound and whined. He helped in the only way he knew how - he licked the wound clean.

“Keith,” his boy’s mother said, “You really shouldn’t let him-”

“It’s fine,” his boy said, wrapping his arm around the wolf and holding on tight. His heart was racing, his hands shaking, and the wolf hated to see him so upset. He nuzzled his boy, and his boy pressed a kiss to his snout.

“He’s a good boy.”

* * *

 II.

His boy’s homeworld was a beautiful place, and the space wolf loved to watch the sunset with him.

They were joined first by the blue one. His boy didn’t mind the interruption, so the wolf didn’t mind either. He even got to eat the string of sausages the blue one brought with him, and he was still finishing them off when the blue one left again.

Then the one with white hair arrived.

“Hey,” his boy said, looking at the one with white hair with the affectionate gaze he reserved just for him. “I thought you had a meeting.”

“I did,” the one with white hair said. He bent to pet the wolf’s head, and the wolf’s tail began to wag. “But I’ll be seeing those guys everyday while we’re out there. Hell, I’ll even see them in the morning. We only get one more sunset on Earth for a while. I wasn’t about to waste it in a meeting.”

“Glad to hear it,” his boy said. The one with white hair sat down beside him. He set his arm behind his boy, and his boy leaned into the one with white hair’s shoulder and hummed. “You had me worried for a minute there.”

The one with white hair kissed his boy’s forehead. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“This could be it, you know,” his boy said, “Who knows when the next time we’ll get to watch one of these is?”

“We’ll be back before you know it.” Confidence was second nature to the one with white hair. “How can we not be with someone like you leading the universe’s best defenders?”

“Stop,” his boy said, but he was smiling. “Are you still expecting me to talk before the launch tomorrow?”

“You _are_ an important figure in all this.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“Just a little bit.” The one with white hair kissed his boy again, but this time his boy groaned in response.

“I want a divorce,” his boy said.

“Darn, and I was just starting to like you,” the one with white hair said, earning an elbow to his gut. He laughed, the sound full and joyous. “You’ll be great. You’re already great. Amazing, even.”

“You’re the worst,” his boy said, but he was grinning. The one with white hair nuzzled his face, pressing kisses to his cheek until his boy was shaking with laughter.

The wolf stood up. This must be a game. He followed suit, nuzzling and licking the opposite cheek.

His boy yelped in surprise. “Oh my God, I’m being attacked from all sides.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic,” the one with white hair said. Between the two of them, his boy ended up flat on his back. The wolf’s tail wagged as he nosed and licked at his boy’s face, and his boy laughed and laughed.

“Okay, okay, you win, no divorce, stop, stop, stop,” he begged, “I can’t _breathe_.”

The wolf and the one with white hair both leaned back, and the one with white hair reached to scratch behind the wolf’s ear.

“Good boy.”

* * *

 III.

“Shiro,” his boy said, pacing back and forth, “Please try to get here as soon as you get this message. I need you. I really, really need you.”

They were in the home the wolf, his boy, and the one with white hair had shared ever since the end of the war. Without knowing where the one with white hair was, the wolf wasn’t going to have much luck transporting him to his boy, but he could tell his boy needed the company. His hands were shaking, his heart rate had elevated, there were beads of sweat on the back of his neck, and his eyes had changed.

“I’m - I think I’m having a panic attack or something. Just, please. Please get here.” His boy ended the call and wound up his arm as if to throw the device hard against the wall. He paused, thinking better of it, and with a sigh tossed it lightly onto the bed, before sinking down onto the floor.

He curled in around himself, head between his knees and hands in his hair as he tried, unsuccessfully, to calm his breathing. The wolf approached with caution, nosing at his boy’s ear with a low whine.

His boy flinched, but looked up and slowly opened his arms. The wolf crawled into his boy’s lap and let himself be wrapped up in a death grip. He didn’t mind, if it was what his boy needed.

The space wolf loved his boy, and his boy loved him.

His boy’s breathing shook as he struggled to calm down. The wolf wasn’t sure how long they had been there, sitting on the floor together like that, when the door finally slid open and in ran the one with white hair.

“Keith,” the one with white hair said, rushing to the crouch before his boy. “Baby, what’s going on?”

“Shiro,” his boy croaked, and let go of the wolf. The wolf shuffled out of his lap, and within seconds his boy was scrambling into the one with white hair’s arms.

“It’s okay,” the one with white hair hushed, rubbing a hand over his boy’s back while the other held on tight, keeping his boy safe and secure. “It’s okay. I’ve got you now, I’ve got you.”

The wolf whined, wanting to be able to do more. He stood and stepped behind the one with white hair, laying down there so he could be leaned on. The one with white hair took the opportunity, shifting back with care until he sat against the wolf’s side, his boy held firmly in his lap. Once they were settled, the wolf curled his body a bit more around them, tossing his tail over the one with white hair’s legs.

They met eyes, briefly, and the one with white hair smiled at the wolf.

“Thanks for taking care of him for me, buddy,” he said, “You’re a good boy.”

* * *

 IV.

The space wolf wasn’t allowed in the nursery.

The one with the white hair said he was too big anyway, and the package his boy carried was too small and too precious right now for him to be around. The space wolf understood - while he and his boy had met when he was only a pup, he now stood taller than his boy and frankly was too big to be comfortable in most of the rooms in their home.

So when he finally met the baby, it had to be outside.

The one with white hair told him to lay down. He was more nervous than his boy, who held the baby in his arms. Once the wolf was down, his boy was slow to approach, kneeling down to bring the baby to the wolf’s level but keeping it close to his chest.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Keith?” said the one with white hair.

“He won’t hurt her, Shiro, I’m right here,” his boy said, “And if he never gets to meet her, he’ll start sniffing around on his own.”

His boy looked up at the wolf, then, with the utmost trust in his eyes. “Alright buddy,” he said, and held the bundle closer so the wolf could see. The baby was so, so small. Violet eyes like his boy’s stared up at the wolf in wonder, and he cocked his head as he stared down at her. “This is Hinata Allura Shirogane-Kogane. Right now she’s really little, so we need you to be on your best behavior to keep her safe for us. Okay, buddy? Can you do that?”

The wolf made a small noise, bringing his nose closer to sniff the baby. The one with white hair took a step forward, but his boy stayed still, letting him investigate the child a moment longer.

The child cooed, and the wolf turned his attention back to his boy to lick his cheek so he would know he understood.

His boy laughed, pulling the baby back towards his chest. The one with white hair crouched down to scratch behind the wolf’s ears with a smile.

“See, Shiro? I told you he’s a good boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written from the POV of a dog/space wolf before so this was a fun little experiment. Don't ask me where the baby came from - it's the future, anything is possible! 
> 
> Find me on Twitter @i_need_a_shiro and Tumblr @holdingoutforashiro.


	5. Day 5: Free Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In their Garrison days, Shiro discovers Keith is... weirdly strong.

Shiro found Keith in the Garrison gym, stretching on the floor mats. 

“Avoiding something?” he asked, already knowing the answer. 

“Math assignment,” Keith said, spreading his legs as far apart as he could, a near split, and leaning forward onto his elbows. “I hate calculus. I should not be in calculus. Before this I was a C-D student.” 

“You were a C-D student because you didn’t do your assignments, not because you didn’t know what you were doing,” Shiro reminded him, stretching out his arms over his head. 

“Yeah, and look where knowing what I’m doing got me.” Keith tossed a hand up in the air. “Fucking calculus.” 

Shiro grinned. “Funny, I thought it got you to the gym  _ avoiding _ calculus.” 

“Hilarious.” Keith pressed his hands to the floor and pushed himself back to his feet. Stepping towards the weights, he swung his arms back and forth to loosen the muscles in his shoulders. 

As Shiro watched, he bent and lifted a fifty pound weight and flipped it over in his hands like it was nothing. He set it on a barbell and went back for another. 

And then another. 

“Whatcha doin’ there?” Shiro said, furrowing his brow. At sixteen, Keith was still smaller than many of his classmates and while Shiro had sparred with him enough times to know he could pack a punch, being able to bench his own body weight plus some was another story. 

Keith caught his tone and paused, looking around at Shiro as though confused by his confusion. “We don’t have any hundreds,” he said as he went back for a fourth and secured all the weights on the bar. 

Shiro looked at the barbell. If Keith had at least chosen the one designated for junior’s - but no, he’d packed two hundred pounds onto the men’s forty-five pound barbell. There was _no way_. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Keith asked, and Shiro realized he was gawking. 

He snapped his jaw shut. “I just - do you want a spotter?” 

Keith blinked. “Uh - sure, I guess.” He straddled the bench and laid back, shuffling into position and waiting for Shiro to make his way over to assist. Shiro helped him lift the barbell off the stand, hesitant to let go. It was almost comical, Keith as small as he was with so many huge weights. 

Keith frowned up at him. “You can let go now, I got it.” 

“Right.” Shiro nodded, resigned to a fate of watching Keith get crushed by a 245 pound barbell, and let go. 

Instead, much to Shiro’s surprise, Keith benched the weight with ease. He barely seemed to break a sweat. 

Shiro crossed his arms, watching Keith’s lithe muscles work. He easily completed a set of fifteen reps before setting the barbell back on the stand without Shiro’s help. 

It didn't make sense. Shiro could wrap his hand around Keith’s wrist and the thumb would overlap the fingers. He could likely fit his whole hand around Keith’s bicep, too. It _didn’t make sense_. 

“When did you get so strong?” Shiro asked as Keith reached to start another set. 

“I dunno. Help me get this down again.” Shiro obliged, and when Keith started again he watched with a mix of interest, confusion, and awe. He couldn't look away.

“When did you start lifting?” Shiro rephrased, rubbing his chin in thought. “I have _never_ seen you lift in here.” 

“I didn’t have access to weights until I got here.” He set the bar down again and sat up, turning to look at Shiro. “Why?” 

“Because you just - you’re so -” Shiro gestured towards him, offering no further explanation. 

Keith glanced down at himself and then back up at Shiro, an eyebrow raised. “I’m so what?” 

This was, of course, the moment Matthew Holt decided to walk into the gym. “Hey Shiro, I was looking for you - oh, hey Keith.” 

“Hey, Matt.” Keith laid back down to finish one more set. He had already lifted the barbell off of its stand before Shiro could reach to help him. 

Matt walked towards them, holding out a datapad. “My dad needed you to look at somethi- holy  _ shit _ , how much are you benching?” 

“245,” Shiro answered for Keith. By now, as he neared the end of his third set, Keith’s arms finally began to strain under the weight. 

“Shit, man.” 

“Shiro,” Keith said, voice tight as his arms shook, “A little help, please.” 

Shiro leapt forward and helped him set the barbell back down. Keith let out the breath he'd been holding, wiped his brow with his sleeve, and stood. 

“How the fuck did you do that?” Matt asked, “You’re, like, a twig. No offense.” 

Keith glared at him. “You’re one to talk.” 

“So, like, could you bench me?” Matt asked. 

“Matt,” Shiro said, his tone scolding, at the same time Keith said, “Yeah.” 

Matt was delighted. “Could you bench  _ Shiro _ ?” 

Keith looked over at Shiro and scratched his chin in thought. “I could try.” 

“No,” Shiro said, “No, absolutely not.” 

“Aw, come _on_ , Shiro,” Matt said. “Think of it as an experiment!” 

“Yeah, Shiro,” Keith said, and his eyes were gleaming with mischief as he smirked at his friend. “It’s an experiment.” 

Twenty minutes later, Sam Holt entered the gym in search of his son and his pilot. What he found was his son sitting on the gym floor taking notes on a datapad, while his pilot was lifted over a cadet’s head mid-squat. 

Keith held Shiro on his side, gripping with one hand under Shiro’s arm and the other high on his thigh. Shiro was doing his best to stay still so Keith wouldn’t lose his balance. None of them noticed Sam until he cleared his throat, and then three sets of eyes spun towards him, caught red-handed in _whatever_ they could call this. 

“ _What_ are you three doing?”

“Uh,” Keith said, blinking and never shifting out of his squat. “Science?” 

“Right." Sam crossed his arms. “And what exactly have you learned?” 

“That Keith is freakishly strong,” Matt said, turning the datapad towards his father, as if that explained everything. 

“Uh-huh.” Sam turned back towards the door and waved over his shoulder. “Come find me when you’re done, Shiro.” 

Shiro, who had long since stopped trying to save face, made no effort to hide his amusement. “Yes, sir.” 

Once in the hall, Sam heard the unmistakable sound of laughter, a thud, and more laughter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no regrets. 
> 
> Find me on Twitter @i_need_a_shiro and Tumblr @holdingoutforashiro.


End file.
